Flying car costing more than $1 million goes on show in Monaco

People
look at the AeroMobil flying car during its unveiling at the Top
Marques Monaco supercar show in MonacoThomson Reuters

MONACO (Reuters) - A Slovakia-based company unveiled the
commercial design for a flying car priced at more than $1 million
on Thursday, saying it was ready for pre-orders with first
deliveries expected by 2020.

AeroMobil said its teardrop-like shaped AeroMobil Flying Car,
displayed at the Top Marques Monaco, could switch to flight mode
in less than three minutes. The wings fold away for driving on
roads and swing out for flying.

The company, one of several developing such flying vehicles, aims
to make up to 500 units of its first commercially available
edition, priced at 1.2 million to 1.5 million euros ($1.29
million to $1.61 million).

To fly, the car would need an airfield or another approved place
to take off, while owners would require driving and pilot
licenses, AeroMobil Chief Communications Officer Stefan Vadocz
said.

AeroMobil said deliveries to customers of the flying car, which
Vadocz said would comply with air and road regulations, was
expected to start by 2020.

Before so-called flying cars become mainstream, they must
overcome a host of flight safety issues to allay public fears.

Governments are already studying how to regulate drones and
driverless cars, while the auto and aviation industries are
working on advances in software and city planning to ensure the
vehicles are restricted to travel within safe corridors.

(Writing By Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Edmund Blair)

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